Week 18 of the NFL season is here with a double-header of games kicking things off on Saturday.
That means it’s time for you to lock in your survivor pool (or knockout pool or whatever you call it) pick for this week and claim your incredible season-long victory. I’m here to give you some help with that by ranking the five best teams to target, while trying to factor in those leagues that require you to only use a squad once per season.
Past picks: Week 2 (L) | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 (L) | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16
Here’s who you should be considering ahead of Week 18 in descending order:
5
Kansas City Chiefs (at Las Vegas Raiders)
You will notice a trend with my picks here, and that’s because all of them are playing for something and going against teams that either don’t have playoff implications OR are seriously flawed. The Raiders could be feisty here, but with the AFC No. 1 seed on the line, the Chiefs won’t lose.
4
Dallas Cowboys (at Washington Commanders)
This is another game where I think a division rival will put up a decent fight, but ultimately I think Sam Howell in his first start for Washington won’t be able to keep up with Dallas.
3
San Francisco 49ers (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
Even if the Niners didn’t have a top seed to play for and wanted to rest their starters, I’d probably still consider them to beat Arizona.
2
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. New York Giants)
The mission for Philly is simple: win and the top seed in the NFC is yours. The Giants can’t move up in the playoff standings, so they may rest players. But even if their starters go, they’ll have a hard time.
1
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Tennessee Titans)
I love what the Jaguars are doing lately. I also don’t love their chances as much as some of the previous teams on this list. But they’re the only one of these teams I haven’t picked yet this year. So I’ll roll with the Jags to clinch the AFC South with a win and lock up this survivor pool championship.
